Search

Start Over Date range 1826 Subjects Frontier and pioneer life

J.C. Sanders, Collector, Papers 0.48 Linear Feet Summary: 5 3/4 in. (1 folder, 1/2 in.); (3 reels of microfilm, 1.75 in. each)

Sanders, John C.
A collection of court records, genealogies, historical sketches and other materials relating to Hampshire and Mineral counties in West Virginia and surrounding areas in Virginia and Maryland. Subjects include a naturalist description of the area and an early history of the region including Indians, white settlement, the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. There is material on the Civil War and World War I and World War II veterans.
  1. West Virginia and Regional History Center

Marion County, White Day Creek History 0.25 Linear Feet Summary: 2 1/2 in. (1 document case)

White Day Creek Watershed Association

Records regarding the history of the White Day Creek region of Marion County, WV. There are also photocopies of primary sources of information supplementary to the White Day Creek book, including: letters and financial ledger of the Watson family (1820-1890); essay titled "Smithtown Local History" (1922); business ledger of George Washington Stevens, a cobbler (1890s); deeds and estate sale documents of William Morris (1854); grist mill business ledger of Sam Smith (1894); financial ledger and "folk wisdom" of Levi Devault (ca. 1875-1900); and the history of the Weaver family, including estate sale information (1854). The history of education in Marion County is documented in the photocopied "1992 Dedication of the Snodgrass One-Room Schoolhouse Museum; October 30, 1992." (Original in Printed Ephemera Collection.) This dedication program also features a reminiscence of Ethel Ferrell (b. 1898), a Marion County school teacher.

  1. West Virginia and Regional History Center

Peter Larew Papers 0.15 Linear Feet Summary: 1 3/4 in. (1 reel of microfilm (4 folders), 1.75 in.)

Larew, Peter
Papers of a pioneer Monroe County family, including a manuscript ciphering book, 1790, a diary of a journey to southwestern Ohio, 1810, a manuscript militia manual and company roster, and various business, church, and legal papers of county militia captain, Peter Larew. The papers of his son, John M., include a general merchandise account book, the estate papers, and various business and legal documents. The collection also contains a series of letters, 1876-1892, from John Larew's sons in California commenting upon school teaching, agriculture, and travel in the Far West.
  1. West Virginia and Regional History Center

Roy Bird Cook (1886-1961), Collector, Papers 5.5 Linear Feet 5 ft. 6 in. (10 document cases, 5 in. each); (2 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (2 large flat storage boxes, 3 1/2 in. each); (1 large flat storage box, 3 in.); (3 oversize folders, 1 in.)

Cook, Roy Bird, 1886-1961
Includes genealogy and Civil War records collected by Roy Bird Cook of Lewis County, West Virginia. Series 1 through 5 were compiled by Marcellus W. Zimmerman. They include correspondence, church records, academic records, genealogical records, research manuscripts, and clippings regarding primarily the genealogy and history of Lewisburg and Greenbrier County, and the life and career of Confederate Brigadier General Alexander W. Reynolds. Series 6 through 8 were collected by Roy Bird Cook. They include military records and clippings regarding West Virginia units, the Confederate 31st Virginia Infantry, and other Confederate units from Virginia; there are also business and miscellaneous records, including ledgers, clippings, research notes, etc. Series 9 includes oversized material from earlier series.
  1. West Virginia and Regional History Center

Ruggles & Woodbridge Co. Account and Minute Book 0.1 Linear Feet 1 in. (1 folder)

Ruggles Woodbridge and Company
An account book of Ruggles Woodbridge & Co., a New England land company with lands in Randolph Co., Virginia, covering the period 1799 to 1831. The volume includes a constitution for the company, dated 4 January 1799, minutes of meetings of the proprietors of the company, which include accounts of land sales of the company and other business matters; an 1811 report by Daniel Stebbins and Jeriel Preston of their inspection trip of the company's lands in which they refer to the settlers as Yankees, natives, and mongrels and claim that one Yankee, in terms of work accomplished, is worth four natives.
  1. West Virginia and Regional History Center

Stuart Family Papers 1.5 Linear Feet 1 ft. 6 in. (3 document cases, 5 in. each); (1 document case, 2 1/2 in.); (1 ledger, 1/2 in.)

Stuart family

Papers of John and Lewis Stuart, 1785-1823, and of Samuel Price, 1830-1879. Price's papers include mainly legal and business correspondence related to Price's law practice in Lewisburg, West Virginia. The Stuart papers concern settlement in Greenbrier County, land transactions, and family matters. The collection includes lawyer's fee books and account books for general merchandise, ca.1830-1880. There are also printed booklets of court briefs, pamphlets concerning "the slavery question" and railroads, and several Congressional documents.

  1. West Virginia and Regional History Center

Vida Bailey, Collector, Papers 0.2 Linear Feet 2 in. (4 folders)

Bailey, Vida
Indentures, deeds, court papers, land grants, letters, church notices, tax and other receipts, bills, notes and other materials concerning the Bluestone River area in Summers County, West Virginia, especially the Josiah Meadows and Robert Lilly families. Includes a Church of Christ minute book kept by Thomas Lilly, 1802-1817; a land grant to Jesiah Meador signed by Governor James P. Preston, 1809; and a letter from William Sellergrit Lilly from upper Louisiana Territory telling of earth tremors, sickness, and expected Indian trouble. Places mentioned include Mercer, Raleigh, Montgomery, and Giles counties, and Sinking Creek.
  1. West Virginia and Regional History Center

Watson Family Papers 0.1 Linear Feet Summary: 1/2 in. (1 folder)

Watson family

The collection includes manuscript materials (correspondence, land warrant, accounts, receipts, petition and will) and printed and typescript materials (invitations, broadside, newspaper and magazine clippings). Subjects of the various items include sale and survey of land; schools, churches, estates, comment on and description of agriculture, social and economic conditions in Kentucky, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, California, Morgantown, Fairmont, and Wheeling, WV, and Ireland; westward migration [1849]; gold mining, enslaved Africans; and business and family affairs.

  1. West Virginia and Regional History Center

William A. Moreland, Political Papers, World War II Records, and Other Material 24.8 Linear Feet Summary: 24 ft. 10 in. (22 document cases, 5 in. each); (4 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (4 records cartons, 15 in. each); (1 large flat storage box, 6 in.); (5 large flat storage boxes, 3 in. each); (4 small flat storage boxes, 3 in. each); (3 small flat storage boxes, 1 1/2 in. each); (1 newspaper box, 3 in.); (1 card index box 4 1/2 in.); (1 flag box, 23 in.); (1 roll storage box, 6 in.); (1 steamer trunk, 30 in.); (1 large wooden clothes pin, 27 in.)

Moreland, William A., 1916-1986
Papers of a Morgantown lawyer and state legislator. Includes political correspondence of William Moreland addressing issues ranging from abortion to coal mining with a majority of the papers regarding the operation of state bureaucracy and the importance of organized labor in West Virginia. Addendum of 2010/10/29 includes Moreland's World War II (WWII) service records, family genealogy, and family photographs. Addenda of 2011/03/21 and 2011/06/20 include papers of William Moreland, and papers of his father and grandfather, James R. Moreland and Joseph Moreland. Addendum of 2014/06/12 includes some papers and many artifacts. Addendum of 2016/07/27 includes drawings of properties in Monongalia County and political campaign and other material. See "Scope and Content Note" for details. Addendum of 2017/05/22 contains two scrapbooks of clippings documenting Moreland from 1933-1970. There are additional addenda.
  1. West Virginia and Regional History Center

Wilson-Lewis Family Papers 0.42 Linear Feet 5 in. (1 document case)

Wilson-Lewis family
Papers relating to the Wilson, Lewis, and Ruffner families of Prince Edward County, Virginia, Kanawha County, [West] Virginia, St. Charles County, Missouri, and Fairfield County, Ohio. Correspondence between Nathaniel V. Wilson and Dr. Goodridge Wilson, concerning land purchases, preparation for the settlement of the family, care of livestock, employment of slaves, salt making and marketing, and the market price of salt. Other members of the family migrated to St. Charles County, Missouri, and to Fairfield County, Ohio, and land prices, suitable crops, settlement and railroad building in Missouri comprise much of their correspondence. A third generation member of the family, Virgy Wilson Hall and her husband, John G. Hall, were missionaries in Matamoras, Mexico, and Colombia, South America, and her correspondence with her mother comments on living conditions, progress of the missionary work, revolution in Colombia, and health and living conditions of the residents of the Barranquilla area. In addition there is a will of Col. Charles Lewis, a series of letters between two doctors concerning health problems and treatment of various illnesses, and two diaries by Mrs. Daniel Ruffner, 1846, and Elizabeth Ruffner Wilson, 1871-1872, commenting on family life and community activities in Fairfield County, Ohio, and Kanawha County, [West] Virginia. All are photocopies. Material covers the years 1774-1942.
  1. West Virginia and Regional History Center

Content Warning

ARVAS is an aggregator of archival resources. ARVAS does not have control of the descriptive language used in our members’ finding aids.

Finding aids may contain historical terms and phrases, reflecting the shared attitudes and values of the community from which they were collected, but are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical or mental ability; religion; sex; and sexual orientation and gender identity.

Many institutions and organizations are in the process of reviewing and revising their descriptive language, with the intent to describe materials in more humanizing, inclusive, and harm-reductive ways. As members revise their descriptive language, their changes will eventually be reflected in their ARVAS finding aids.